THE SCHOOL IN THE DIGITAL CULTURE: PEDAGOGICAL MEDIATION, CHALLENGES, AND CRITICAL LITERACY

Abstract

The consolidation of digital culture has profoundly transformed the ways in which communication, knowledge production, and social interaction take place, posing new challenges for educational institutions. In this context, this study examines the role of schools within digital culture and its implications for teaching and learning processes, emphasizing the need to redefine pedagogical practices and teachers' mediation in response to the demands of the network society. The research is characterized as a qualitative, bibliographic, and reflective study, grounded in the analysis of scholarly works addressing the relationship between education, digital technologies, and teacher education. The findings reveal that schools are no longer limited to the transmission of information but are increasingly expected to promote knowledge curation, critical digital literacy, and the development of competencies required for ethical and critical participation in digital culture. The results indicate that the mere availability of technological resources does not guarantee educational innovation. Instead, effective integration of digital technologies requires investments in infrastructure, continuous professional development for teachers, and intentional pedagogical practices that foster collaborative learning, student autonomy, and active engagement. The study concludes that schools remain essential institutions for both social and digital inclusion, playing a strategic role in preparing citizens to critically interpret, produce, and use information in the context of digital culture.